Bilbo in RotK - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Arwen Evenstar · 12-19-2003, 06:23 PM

All I could say when I saw him at the end is: TEE HEE!

Luthien_ Tinuviel · 12-19-2003, 06:37 PM

Yeah, he looked really old and kind of funny. I expected him to keep his white afro and maybe have a few more lines on his face, not become fully decrepit and weird-looking. I mean, how much can a person age in one year?

Gorwingel · 12-19-2003, 06:46 PM

Well he did lose the ring, but, yes I too thought that he looked to old though. But when he and Frodo are riding in the covered wagon. I thought that was a really touching moment.

balrogman · 12-19-2003, 08:01 PM

too old

Lily Bracegirdle · 12-19-2003, 08:19 PM

The makeup was a bit much. But I could see him aging rapidly once he no longer had the ring. Plus, it was about four years since we saw him last in Rivendell (in movie time). Frodo talked about it being "four years to the day since Weathertop" or something along those lines.-Lily

lore_master · 12-19-2003, 09:39 PM

bilbo was really funny looking, with his long white hair, his face was just really really funny, i thunk they went just a bit over the top with the make-up on that one. did you notice Sam and frodo didnt get any older though, and niether did merry or pippin.

Jjudvven · 12-19-2003, 10:26 PM

It was a little extreme, but they did make him look older, like the book said.

Shy Hobbit · 12-19-2003, 11:39 PM

He reminded me of the guy from Back to the Future While I was pleased they included him, the prosthetics were a bit much, at first I wasn't even sure it was Ian Holm. If they'd left the hair curly, it probably wouldn't have been so "alarming", if that's the right word...Was very pleased they left in the bit about him asking Frodo about the Ring

mark12_30 · 12-20-2003, 09:36 AM

I've seen the movie twice and both times, I spent so much time thinking, "Is that him? Is Ian Holm still in there? It doesn't LOOK like Ian Holm anymore. Is it? Isn't it?? What did they do to him? Couldn't they afford to bring him back? Is that a substitute actor???" that I almost missed his lines, and I was very distracted until he walked onto the ship and the focus moved back to the four younger hobbits. Which (to me) means that the makeup job was over the top.

Iris Alantiel · 12-20-2003, 09:03 PM

I thought that the extent of the change in Bilbo at the end of the movie reflected the extent to which the ring had power over him. I mean, the ring was the only thing that was keeping him from aging, and once it was gone, he started to age at an accelerated rate. He was supposed to be in his 120s at that point, and you have to admit, that's pretty old. So yeah, he looked shockingly different, so you almost didn't recognize him, but I thought that just illustrated the effects of losing the ring and how, without it, age caught up to him pretty fast.

King_Elessar · 12-21-2003, 01:25 PM

I do think his make up was a bit OTT, just slightly! Hey, does anyone agree that Bilbo looked like Yoda, in ROTK?!~King_Elessar~

Kalimac · 12-21-2003, 01:29 PM

"Lost, the Ring is!" Yes, he did have a whiff of Yoda about him, especially when you see him getting onto the ship.The makeup job floored me for the first second but once he spoke - and the voice was Bilbo's - it didn't bother me too much. I guess that since he's been kept alive beyond the normal span by the Ring, its destruction would go a lot harder on him than it would on someone even like Frodo, who was still a normal age (no matter whether you go by the movie or the book version). But yes, he looked like he couldn't get to that revivifying air of the Undying Lands a minute too soon.

Finwe · 12-21-2003, 01:53 PM

I nearly started snickering when he asked Frodo about what happened to "his old Ring." I know that it was a touching scene and everything, but the half-bewildered, half-incredibly-irritated-at-my-old-decrepit-uncle-who-forgot-that-I-lost-a-friggin'-finger-while-destroying-the-Ring look on Frodo's face was absolutely priceless!

doug*platypus · 12-21-2003, 05:29 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> Hey, does anyone agree that Bilbo looked like Yoda, in ROTK?! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Was Yoda in ROTK? I managed to spot Darth Vader dying on the Pelennor Fields, although I have to admit that Luke looked even more girly than usual. Oh, wait, was it the bit where he said: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> There is... another... Bagginss... <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Seriously, I was very relieved to see the job they did on Bilbo. The ageing of Bilbo in FOTR was an inconsistency of epic proportions! If Bilbo aged so much as soon as the Ring was not in his immediate possession, then why didn't Gollum suddenly disintegrate when he lost it?! ROTK provided us with the (still fairly flaky) answer: you age a bit when you first lose it, and then as soon as it's destroyed you really look your age. Remember that Bilbo was now the eldest hobbit to have ever lived, partly due to unnatural effects. I'm not surprised he looked so terrible! When 133 years old (?) you reach, look as good you will not! Besides, I thought the shot of Frodo and Bilbo riding along together was one of the pleasant surprises of the movie. It managed to eloquently capture what the book tried to say: that Frodo (and Bilbo) were wounded very deeply by their possession of the Ring, and by its destruction. They were now unable to live with the other inhabitants of the Shire, or anywhere in Middle-Earth. They could find comfort only in the Undrying Lands, and with each other. Very touching. Kudos, Peter.

**The Saucepan Man** · 12-21-2003, 06:13 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> "Is that him? Is Ian Holm still in there? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Oh, it was Ian Holm alright.I thought that the make-up job was excellent. It made him look his age, which you would expect once the Ring had been destroyed. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> Besides, I thought the shot of Frodo and Bilbo riding along together was one of the pleasant surprises of the movie. It managed to eloquently capture what the book tried to say: that Frodo (and Bilbo) were wounded very deeply by their possession of the Ring, and by its destruction. They were now unable to live with the other inhabitants of the Shire, or anywhere in Middle-Earth. They could find comfort only in the Undrying Lands, and with each other. Very touching. Kudos, Peter. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Spot on, doug. Although it did make me somewhat sorry for Bilbo that he would remain in such an aged state for the remainder of his days in the Undying Lands. It would be nice to believe that being there did have a revitalising effect on him.Nevertheless, the "ageing of Bilbo" worked for me. My one gripe is that, when we see Bilbo boarding the boat, the "smaller scale" stand-in looked faintly ridiculous from behind - clearly someone a lot youger wearing a white curly wig. There were a few muffled titters in the cinema where I was. [ 7:14 PM December 21, 2003: Message edited by: The Saucepan Man ]

Theron Bugtussle · 12-22-2003, 06:30 PM

Bilbo's over-the-top makeup in RotK looked precisely like the aged Salieri in Amadeus. And disagreeably distracting."Mediocrities of the world, I absolve thee!"

Tinker · 12-24-2003, 07:20 PM

I have to agree with the rest. My first thought on seeing Bilbo at the end was "Holy Carp, that's an odd looking thing? It sounds just like Bilbo. Nah, couldn't be, could it? Hello...Mister Bilbo, you in there?"I got over it at the sight of the boats to Grey Haven (pretty colors, oooooooooo.)But one thing I did notice. When the Big People offer to take Bilbo with them (obviously in a more touching and dramatic sequence than I make it sound like ), you can see a change in Bilbo. His face lights up a bit, he stands taller, and his eyes have the same determined/joyful glimmer I remember from his 111th birthday. The wrinkles are still there, but not as deep. He looked, younger.That's about the time I sat up and said "Hey it IS Bilbo!" (which for some reason made my already crying friend cry even harder)But maybe that's just me.

The Only Real Estel · 12-24-2003, 09:50 PM

I thought they did a pretty good job on him...maybe a little excesive, but hey, in the books he could barely even stay awake he was so old . With that in mind, I don't think they were to far off base.

12-25-2003, 01:05 AM

As previously stated, I do agree that the extreme change in appearance was created to emphasize the ring's effects. The ring had slowed his aging process for so long, so that his body had to go into warp-speed to catch up. I do admit that his appearance startled me. I breathed a sigh of relief when he was safely aboard the ship and out of sight, heh.

12-19-2003, 06:23 PM	#1
Arwen Evenstar Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 131	Bilbo in RotK All I could say when I saw him at the end is:<BR>TEE HEE!

12-19-2003, 06:37 PM	#2
Luthien_ Tinuviel Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: May 2002 Location: A very lovely tree-hut in the Chunnel. Posts: 804	Yeah, he looked really old and kind of funny. I expected him to keep his white afro and maybe have a few more lines on his face, not become fully decrepit and weird-looking. I mean, how much can a person age in one year? __________________ I am a nineteen-year-old nomad photographer who owns a lemonade stand. You know what? I love Mip.

12-19-2003, 06:46 PM	#3
Gorwingel Beholder of the Mists Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Somewhere in the Northwest... for now Posts: 1,419	Well he did lose the ring, but, yes I too thought that he looked to old though. But when he and Frodo are riding in the covered wagon. I thought that was a really touching moment. __________________ Wanted - Wonderfully witty quote that consists of pure brilliance

12-19-2003, 08:01 PM	#4
balrogman Wight Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: that place with the stuff Posts: 102	too old __________________ should i stay or should i go?

12-19-2003, 08:19 PM	#5
Lily Bracegirdle Wight Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Bree Posts: 210	The makeup was a bit much. But I could see him aging rapidly once he no longer had the ring. Plus, it was about four years since we saw him last in Rivendell (in movie time). Frodo talked about it being "four years to the day since Weathertop" or something along those lines.<P>-Lily __________________ "But nay: the praise of the praiseworthy is above all rewards." - Faramir

12-19-2003, 09:39 PM	#6
lore_master Wight Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Valhalla Posts: 116	bilbo was really funny looking, with his long white hair, his face was just really really funny, i thunk they went just a bit over the top with the make-up on that one. did you notice Sam and frodo didnt get any older though, and niether did merry or pippin. __________________ As you go the way of life, you will see a great chasm. Jump. It is not as wide as you think

12-19-2003, 10:26 PM	#7
Jjudvven Wight Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: The Land to the West Posts: 154	It was a little extreme, but they did make him look older, like the book said. __________________ "I don't know all of you as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you, half as well as you deserve."

12-19-2003, 11:39 PM	#8
Shy Hobbit Wight Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: In my own little world Posts: 201	He reminded me of the guy from Back to the Future <P>While I was pleased they included him, the prosthetics were a bit much, at first I wasn't even sure it was Ian Holm. If they'd left the hair curly, it probably wouldn't have been so "alarming", if that's the right word...<P>Was <I>very</I> pleased they left in the bit about him asking Frodo about the Ring __________________ Make Middle-Earth a friendlier place, hug a balrog today! ~The Fellowship of the King~

12-20-2003, 09:36 AM	#9
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	I've seen the movie twice and both times, I spent so much time thinking, "Is that him? Is Ian Holm still in there? It doesn't LOOK like Ian Holm anymore. Is it? Isn't it?? What did they do to him? Couldn't they afford to bring him back? Is that a substitute actor???" that I almost missed his lines, and I was very distracted until he walked onto the ship and the focus moved back to the four younger hobbits. Which (to me) means that the makeup job was over the top. __________________ ...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.

12-20-2003, 09:03 PM	#10
Iris Alantiel Haunting Spirit Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Valinor Posts: 97	I thought that the extent of the change in Bilbo at the end of the movie reflected the extent to which the ring had power over him. I mean, the ring was the only thing that was keeping him from aging, and once it was gone, he started to age at an accelerated rate. He was supposed to be in his 120s at that point, and you have to admit, that's pretty old. So yeah, he looked shockingly different, so you almost didn't recognize him, but I thought that just illustrated the effects of losing the ring and how, without it, age caught up to him pretty fast. __________________ Above all shadows rides the Sun and Stars forever dwell: I will not say the Day is done, nor bid the Stars farewell. -- Samwise Gamgee

12-21-2003, 01:25 PM	#11
King_Elessar Haunting Spirit Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Minas Tirith, City of the Kings. Posts: 57	I do think his make up was a bit OTT, just slightly! <P>Hey, does anyone agree that Bilbo looked like Yoda, in ROTK?!<P>~King_Elessar~ __________________ I see in your eyes, the same fear, that would take the heart of me. A day may come, when the courage of men fails. When we forsake our friends, and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day. This day...we fight!

12-21-2003, 01:29 PM	#12
Kalimac Candle of the Marshes Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Flyover Country Posts: 780	"Lost, the Ring is!" Yes, he did have a whiff of Yoda about him, especially when you see him getting onto the ship.<P>The makeup job floored me for the first second but once he spoke - and the voice was Bilbo's - it didn't bother me too much. I guess that since he's been kept alive beyond the normal span by the Ring, its destruction would go a lot harder on him than it would on someone even like Frodo, who was still a normal age (no matter whether you go by the movie or the book version). But yes, he looked like he couldn't get to that revivifying air of the Undying Lands a minute too soon. __________________ Father, dear Father, if you see fit, We'll send my love to college for one year yet Tie blue ribbons all about his head, To let the ladies know that he's married.

12-21-2003, 01:53 PM	#13
Finwe Deathless Sun Join Date: May 2003 Location: The Royal Suite in the Halls of Mandos Posts: 2,609	I nearly started snickering when he asked Frodo about what happened to "his old Ring." I know that it was a touching scene and everything, but the half-bewildered, half-incredibly-irritated-at-my-old-decrepit-uncle-who-forgot-that-I-lost-a-friggin'-finger-while-destroying-the-Ring look on Frodo's face was absolutely priceless! __________________ But Melkor also was there, and he came to the house of Fëanor, and there he slew Finwë King of the Noldor before his doors, and spilled the first blood in the Blessed Realm; for Finwë alone had not fled from the horror of the Dark.

12-21-2003, 05:29 PM	#14
doug*platypus Delver in the Deep Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Aotearoa Posts: 960	<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> Hey, does anyone agree that Bilbo looked like Yoda, in ROTK?! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Was Yoda in ROTK? I managed to spot Darth Vader dying on the Pelennor Fields, although I have to admit that Luke looked even more girly than usual. Oh, wait, was it the bit where he said: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> There is... another... Bagginss... <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Seriously, I was <B>very relieved</B> to see the job they did on Bilbo. The ageing of Bilbo in FOTR was an inconsistency of epic proportions! If Bilbo aged so much as soon as the Ring was not in his immediate possession, then why didn't Gollum suddenly disintegrate when he lost it?! ROTK provided us with the (still fairly flaky) answer: you age a bit when you first lose it, and then as soon as it's destroyed you <B>really</B> look your age. Remember that Bilbo was now the eldest hobbit to have ever lived, partly due to unnatural effects. I'm not surprised he looked so terrible! When 133 years old (?) <B>you</B> reach, look as good you will not! <P>Besides, I thought the shot of Frodo and Bilbo riding along together was one of the pleasant surprises of the movie. It managed to eloquently capture what the book tried to say: that Frodo (and Bilbo) were wounded very deeply by their possession of the Ring, and by its destruction. They were now unable to live with the other inhabitants of the Shire, or anywhere in Middle-Earth. They could find comfort only in the Undrying Lands, and with each other. Very touching. Kudos, Peter. __________________ But Gwindor answered: 'The doom lies in yourself, not in your name'.

12-21-2003, 06:13 PM	#15
The Saucepan Man Corpus Cacophonous Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: A green and pleasant land Posts: 8,390	<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> "Is that him? Is Ian Holm still in there? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Oh, it was Ian Holm alright.<P>I thought that the make-up job was excellent. It made him look his age, which you would expect once the Ring had been destroyed.<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> Besides, I thought the shot of Frodo and Bilbo riding along together was one of the pleasant surprises of the movie. It managed to eloquently capture what the book tried to say: that Frodo (and Bilbo) were wounded very deeply by their possession of the Ring, and by its destruction. They were now unable to live with the other inhabitants of the Shire, or anywhere in Middle-Earth. They could find comfort only in the Undrying Lands, and with each other. Very touching. Kudos, Peter. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Spot on, doug. <P>Although it did make me somewhat sorry for Bilbo that he would remain in such an aged state for the remainder of his days in the Undying Lands. It would be nice to believe that being there did have a revitalising effect on him.<P>Nevertheless, the "ageing of Bilbo" worked for me. <P>My one gripe is that, when we see Bilbo boarding the boat, the "smaller scale" stand-in looked faintly ridiculous from behind - clearly someone a lot youger wearing a white curly wig. There were a few muffled titters in the cinema where I was. <p>[ 7:14 PM December 21, 2003: Message edited by: The Saucepan Man ] __________________ Do you mind? I'm busy doing the fishstick. It's a very delicate state of mind!

12-22-2003, 06:30 PM	#16
Theron Bugtussle Wight Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Blowing the froth off a couple in this quaint little pub in Michel Delving. Posts: 147	Bilbo's over-the-top makeup in RotK looked precisely like the aged Salieri in <I>Amadeus</I>. And disagreeably distracting.<P>"Mediocrities of the world, I absolve thee!" __________________ For I was talking aloud to myself. A habit of the old: they choose the wisest person present to speak to; the long explanations needed by the young are wearying. -Gandalf, The Two Towers

12-24-2003, 07:20 PM	#17
Tinker Pile O'Bones Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Along the border between Earth and Middle Earth Posts: 18	I have to agree with the rest. My first thought on seeing Bilbo at the end was "Holy Carp, that's an odd looking thing? It sounds just like Bilbo. Nah, couldn't be, could it? Hello...Mister Bilbo, you in there?"<P>I got over it at the sight of the boats to Grey Haven (pretty colors, oooooooooo.)<P>But one thing I did notice. When the Big People offer to take Bilbo with them (obviously in a more touching and dramatic sequence than I make it sound like ), you can see a change in Bilbo. His face lights up a bit, he stands taller, and his eyes have the same determined/joyful glimmer I remember from his 111th birthday. The wrinkles are still there, but not as deep. He looked, younger.<P>That's about the time I sat up and said "Hey it IS Bilbo!" (which for some reason made my already crying friend cry even harder)<P>But maybe that's just me. __________________ Have you hugged your hobbit today? "He's hot. Not Faramir Hot, but hot" Tolkienitis, GS Symptom #6: A suddenly developed obsession/aversion with jewlery, esp. rings of gold.

12-24-2003, 09:50 PM	#18
The Only Real Estel Raffish Rapscallion Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Far from the 'Downs, it seems :-( Posts: 2,835	I thought they did a pretty good job on him...maybe a little excesive, but hey, in the books he could barely even stay awake he was so old . With that in mind, I don't think they were to far off base.

12-25-2003, 01:05 AM	#19
darkrose Guest Posts: n/a	As previously stated, I do agree that the extreme change in appearance was created to emphasize the ring's effects. The ring had slowed his aging process for so long, so that his body had to go into warp-speed to catch up. <P>I do admit that his appearance startled me. I breathed a sigh of relief when he was safely aboard the ship and out of sight, heh.